NHL: Capitals nab lead against Rangers

Associated Press |
May 2, 2013
| Updated: May 2, 2013 11:16pm

WASHINGTON - Alex Ovechkin's franchise-record 31st career playoff goal got the Capitals started before less-heralded teammates Marcus Johansson and Jason Chimera scored 46 seconds apart, and Washington beat the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday night in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Ovechkin, a two-time MVP who led the NHL with 32 goals this season, crashed the net to score on a power play about seven minutes into the second period to tie the game for the Capitals, the third-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.

Carl Hagelin had put sixth-seeded New York ahead 1-0 in the first period - the only puck that made it past Braden Holtby, who finished with 35 saves.

Senators 4, Canadiens 2

Craig Anderson made 48 saves in a spectacular goaltending performance as Ottawa won at Montreal in Game 1 of their playoff series.

Montreal center Lars Eller was wheeled off on a stretcher bleeding heavily from the nose and was taken to a hospital with what the team said were head and facial injuries after he was caught with a shoulder to the face on an open-ice hit from Senators defenseman Eric Gryba.

Jakob Silfverberg and Marc Methot scored early in the third period and gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom and defenseman Clayton Stoner did not practice, increasing the possibility they will be unavailable for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks. … Boston defenseman Andrew Ference was suspended for a game by the NHL for an illegal check to Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski's head during Game 1 of their first-round series.